1799 Capped Bust Right Eagle. BD-10, Taraszka-22. Rarity-3. Large Obverse Stars. AU-58 (NGC).A handsome Choice AU example of this Large Stars eagle with vibrant yellow-gold coloration. The surfaces are overall smooth, with just an old mark to be noted between stars 4 and 5 within the clouds on the reverse. Considerable traces of Mint luster remain in the protected areas and testify to the truly superior preservation. Softly rendered throughout the lower obverse, though this is not uncommon for these dies. pAfter only the 1801 BD-2, the 1799 BD-10 is the most frequently encountered die marriage in the Capped Bust Right, Heraldic Eagle ten-dollar gold series of 1797 to 1804. Mint records provide a mintage of 37,449 eagles for calendar year 1799, and John W. Dannreuther (2006) believes that all of these coins were actually struck from 1799-dated dies, unlike many other issues. Based on an estimate of 300 to 400 survivors in all grades, the author provides an approximate mintage of 12,500 to 17,500 coins from the BD-10 dies. Such an extant population is generous by early eagle standards, and this variety has long been popular with advanced gold type collectors. Even so, all pre-1834 U.S. gold issues and varieties are scarce in an absolute sense, and bidding opportunities are limited given the strong demand for these pieces in todays market.
